


Heat

by floorcoaster



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Co-workers, F/M, First Kiss, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Huddling For Warmth, Post-Hogwarts, Romance, ministry employees, new feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:13:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27464731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/floorcoaster/pseuds/floorcoaster
Summary: There's something going on with the Ministry's temperature controls. Pansy ends up alone with a coworker and together they work to figure out the problem--and how to survive it!
Relationships: Pansy Parkinson/Percy Weasley
Comments: 23
Kudos: 50
Collections: dissendium to dreams





	Heat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dreamsofdramione](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamsofdramione/gifts).



> HAPPY BIRTHDAY DREAMSOFDRAMIONE!!!! I'm so thankful to have met you when I popped back into fandom. Hope you have a marvelous day! And you know I'm not super gushy, but just know that I'm super gushy over you and so happy to get to celebrate your birthday!! 
> 
> _Authory-type notes:_  
>  Thank you so much to my beta, bionically, and to my alpha, inadaze22, for not only the prompt but also the title! This beautiful graphic was made by Cnova! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
> 
> And finally, I use numbers in this fic to tell temperatures. I chose to go with Fahrenheit because that's what has an impact for me, as an American writer. I have no clue what they temps are in Celsius, and the giftee is also American, so it just made sense to keep it in degrees F. Thanks for understanding! I'll provide a conversion in the end notes.
> 
>   
> 

The first sign there was something amiss was Clara, secretary to Percy Weasley and Pansy’s closest friend at the Ministry, draping her cloak over her shoulders.

The second sign was Pansy’s own boss, Mr. Albert Harrison, who had to be at least ninety, requesting two hot drinks over the course of thirty minutes before his two o’clock meeting.

Something was definitely going on with the internal temperature regulations of the Ministry. 

When Pansy exhaled and saw her breath as a slight puff, she stood up and wrapped her cardigan tighter around her shoulders. “Why is it so cold?” It was May, for Merlin’s sake! She wore a scoop-necked, sleeveless dress with a full, flouncy skirt that went just to the tops of her knees. 

Clara shuddered. “I don’t know. I’m going to see if I can find out. Besides, I need to go to the loo.” She practically jumped out of her chair and ran through the door of the large office. 

Pansy huffed in annoyance. Why did Clara get to go see what was happening? Just because the woman’s crush-of-the-month worked in Maintenance didn’t mean she could run off whenever there was the slightest variation in temperature in their joint office space, which was what Clara had spent the last few weeks doing. Pansy was finding it hard not to be irritated.

The space she and Clara shared was a joint reception area for Mr. Harrison and Mr. Weasley. Between their reception desks was a set of comfortable leather sofas and a coffee table. Behind Pansy’s desk was the door to Mr. Harrison’s office, and behind Clara’s was the door to Mr. Weasley’s. Pansy’s boss was away at a meeting, which meant that, for the moment, she and Percy were the only occupants of the office.

It was quiet. 

So quiet she could hear her heart beating, feel the tremor in her hands as she went about her work. It had nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with the intimidating, aloof man hidden away behind his office door. Her desk was situated so that she could see a sliver of his office through a window beside his door, though there was rarely anything to see except a few inches of the surface of his desk.

Pansy had discovered her inconvenient crush on Percy Weasley about two months before. They’d been on the lift together, something that had happened dozens of times before, heading back to their floor. Percy had been standing slightly in front of her, his robes stretched tightly across his broad shoulders, and she found her gaze drawn to what looked like a piece of fuzz resting on his otherwise pristine robes. As they traveled and people got on and then off the lift, that fuzz continued to hold her attention. When they were finally alone on the painfully slow lift, she’d reached out and tried to remove the fuzz without him detecting.

But as soon as her fingers pinched the offending lint, Percy spun around and grabbed her wrist faster than she could blink. She gasped as he pulled her to him, gripping her tightly as though she might run away. Her heart skipped a beat at the shocking turn off events, but then started racing as they stared at each other. He blinked, his dark blue eyes locked on hers for one more heartbeat as he registered who she was. 

He released her abruptly. "Miss Parkinson. I apologize."

She held up the piece of fuzz, trying to calm her racing heart. "This was on your robes, Mr. Weasley. I shouldn't have presumed—"

"No, that's quite all right. Please forgive my edginess." He gave her a slight smile. 

She let the fuzz fall to the floor, feeling extremely dazed by what had happened. "It's alright. You startled me, that's all."

When the lift arrived on their floor, he stepped back to allow her to exit first. Pansy had felt self-conscious and confused as to why her heart continued to race long after Percy had disappeared into his office. 

Now, seven weeks later, she was accustomed to the answer: she fancied him. She'd fallen hard. They were rarely the only two in the office, but whenever it did happen, she became immediately hyper-aware of every move he made, every sound coming from his office. She tried not to let him notice her infatuation, hoping it would simply pass. 

Unfortunately for Pansy, that wasn’t happening. 

Fifteen minutes after Clara’s exit, Percy called for her from his office. Pansy glanced to the main door, hoping that Clara would walk through it, but when that didn’t happen and Percy called again, Pansy had no choice but to respond. Rather than shout, she left her desk and went to his door, which was open just a little. She knocked hesitantly.

“Yes, come in, Clara.” His tone was clipped.

Pansy took a breath and pushed the door open. “I’m sorry, Mr. Weasley, but Clara stepped out. Was there something I could help you with?”

Percy’s expression softened slightly upon seeing Pansy. “Miss Parkinson. Have you any idea why it’s as cold as an ice box in here?”

“No, sir, Clara went to find out.”

Percy frowned and pulled out his wand. He cast a quick spell and a shiny, silver 58F hung in the air briefly before disappearing. “Something is wrong with the Ministry’s Internal Temperature Regulation Apparatus.” He stood to leave, but as he grabbed his cloak, the lights flickered a few times before dying completely, and the main office door clicked as though it had been locked. 

As Percy neared his office door, all the lights went out. Pansy gasped, her surprise and trepidation overshadowing her attraction to him. "What's going on?"

Percy pulled out his wand and lit it with a whispered "Lumos." He was frowning as he stepped out into the lobby. 

Pansy followed, retrieving her cloak and wand from her desk, lighting its tip as Percy had done. When she finished, he was at the main door, trying to force the handle. When that didn’t work, he tried a few spells—still nothing.

“What do we do?” Pansy wrapped the cloak as tightly as possible around her, but it didn’t seem to make a difference. It was obvious that the temperature was falling—and fast.

Percy cast the Patronus Charm, and Pansy watched the silvery animal dart around the lobby and finally out through a wall. She felt a rush of relief at knowing that the Patronus, at least, could get through and alert someone. Neither of them spoke as they waited, and they didn’t have to wait long. Less than ten minutes later, another Patronus entered at the same point where Percy’s had left.

_Ministry under Lockdown. Stay where you are. Investigation underway. Await further instructions._

A wave of fear washed over her, and she looked at Percy. He was staring intently at the spot where the Patronus had just vanished, a troubled expression on his face.

“Mr. Weasley?” 

His gaze cut to her, eyes bright. “Yes, Miss Parkinson?”

Her teeth were chattering now. “I… I think it’s… c-colder.”

Percy cast the same spell he’d used earlier to ascertain the temperature, and this time, the number 43F hung in the air. “It would appear that you’re correct. No wonder I’m having trouble feeling my fingers.” 

“We’re trapped in here, aren’t we?” Pansy tried not to let the rising panic come through in her tone. 

“When the Ministry goes into Lockdown, all the doors seal magically. Only the Minister and his direct representatives can open them.” Percy Transfigured his cloak into something warmer. 

“Why would there be a Lockdown?” She did the same, also Conjuring a hat, scarf, and gloves.

Percy shrugged and leaned against Clara’s desk. “It could be a threat of some kind, either from people, creatures, or disease, an accident in the Department of Mysteries—there’s no telling what goes on down there—or the climate controls are broken. There’s nothing to suggest it’s anything nefarious, though of course we can’t rule that out from here.”

He looked at her then, their eyes meeting for the first time. Pansy’s heart skipped, and she was reminded of the way he made her feel, the fact that she could look into his eyes and get lost there. He was kind and quiet, thoughtful and meticulous. There was a depth to him that enticed her, a sadness that made her long to touch him, to make him laugh. 

“Whatever the cause, I don’t think the temperature is going to stop dropping.” He pushed off from the desk and went back into his office. Pansy followed, not knowing what else to do, trying to focus on the problem and not the odd mixture of terror and delight she felt. 

Percy pulled open the top drawer of his filing cabinet and was flipping through the contents. “I’d hoped to find enough in here to burn for a fire, but this is all quite sensitive information.” He tried the second drawer. “I’m afraid there won’t be anything here.”

“What about your desk? It looks like wood to me.” 

He shut the last drawer and joined her in looking at the large, rectangular object. “Yes, it would do, only I’m afraid—now that I think about it—that a fire might trigger some kind of suppression system that would make matters worse. I don’t think, as we near freezing, that being wet would be wise.”

Pansy shuddered and folded her arms. “Warming Charms?”

“They wouldn’t last, and this cold is magical in nature. I’m not sure they’d be effective, but we should try. May I?” He turned to her, his wand raised in a casual but alert manner. 

She nodded, and after a wave of his wand, she felt a flood of warmth spread through her. It was delightful, and she started pulling off all the winter gear she’d put on. As soon as her bare skin hit the air, however, it was as if the Warming Charm snapped and the cold rushed back in. She gasped and hurriedly put everything back on. 

He shook his head. “I didn’t think it would work. But we had to try.” He cast the temperature Charm once again, revealing a disconcerting 37F. 

Pansy’s stomach flipped unpleasantly. “Should we be worried? What if nobody comes? What do we do?”

“I suppose we’ll have to try and start a fire. Perhaps we can disable the fire suppression mechanism…” He trailed off, his gaze flitting to the wall of his office. “We could try it with Harrison’s desk first.” 

Pansy’s eyes widened, and she saw Percy smile out of the corner of his mouth. She nodded. “All right!”

He grinned at her, his expression mischievous, and they rushed over to Harrison’s office. With a few waves of his wand, Percy had Harrison’s desk emptied and everything else moved to one end of the office. Harrison was Percy’s superior, and he therefore had a bigger office. Percy Levitated the desk to the empty half of the room. “Why don’t you wait outside, just in case this is a colossal failure?”

She started for the door, then paused. “No. We’re in this together, after all. If this fails, we’ll be miserable together.”

He started to speak, probably to try and dissuade her, but then he nodded. “Right. On three. I’ll cast the spell, so that the responsibility falls to me. Ready?” She nodded. “One. Two. Three!”

A spell erupted from Percy’s wand and landed on the desk, which instantly burst into roaring flames. The sudden heat was so intense that they both took a step back. However, after only a few seconds, water began pouring down on the fire. 

“Get out!” Percy shouted, turning around and calmly but urgently pushing Pansy from the room. 

They managed to escape without getting soaked, and Percy stuck his head back inside the room to make sure that the fire was safely put out. After a moment, he carefully closed the door. When he turned around, he wore a sheepish grin. “Well, that will take some sorting out when this is all over.”

Pansy laughed. “I’ll never forget the image of what looked like a waterfall crashing down on Harrison’s burning desk.”

Percy chuckled, his grin growing until it was a fully-fledged smile. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, it faded. “We can’t burn things, Warming Charms don’t work… it seems like we’re stuck here.” He began pacing the lobby area. “The temperature is quickly falling, and Harrison’s office will soon be covered in ice. I think… our best bet is to go into my office and… Well…” Pansy watched with astonishment as color suffused his cheeks. She’d never seen Percy flustered, but apparently, whatever he was thinking was causing him a significant amount of stress.

Pansy nodded and tried to take over. “We’ll Transfigure some blankets and try to get warm. Oh, what about a Bubble Charm? We could cast them over ourselves and try to contain our body heat?”

He shook his head, stopping in his tracks and staring at his office door. “I… I believe you’re on to something there, Miss Parkinson, only… what I’m thinking isn’t entirely _appropriate_ for the workplace.” His face was now a shade of red darker than it had been, but he seemed determined now. “I believe we’re going to have to rely on our body heat, only instead of each of us separately, it will need to be combined.”

“What do you—Oh!” Her eyes went wide, and she felt herself blush crimson. 

His gaze flicked to hers. “Nothing _in_ appropriate, of course. But this is potentially a matter of life and death, and I’d rather not die in my office today. What do you say?”

Pansy nodded mutely. She didn’t know what he had in mind, only that they would need to be close—very close—in order for this to work. 

Percy didn’t waste any time. He entered his office with purpose, and Pansy followed, too stunned to think. He glanced around quickly, then pointed his wand at his desk. “A sofa, I think.” In an instant, his desk became a very comfortable looking leather sofa. He continued casting spells, and soon there were blankets and pillows piled neatly on the floor beside it. “Ladies first.” He motioned for her to sit first. 

Pansy sat stiffly, her back straight as a board and at least eight inches from the back of the sofa. 

He tutted as he frowned slightly, then hurried over and picked up a blanket. He wrapped it around her, making sure that it was tucked in tightly around her. Then he picked up another blanket, wrapped it around himself, and sat down beside her. 

She felt awkward and self-conscious. Surely he would figure out that she harbored a deep attraction for him simply by being so near. 

They were as close as they could be with their heavy blankets on, which wasn’t that close at all, and she was still feeling almost painfully cold. 

“This isn’t going to work,” Percy muttered, glancing around as though looking for something else. “In the survival segment of my training for this position—required for all Senior Ministry employees—we were told that, in extreme situations such as this, extreme measures must be taken. Please don’t think less of me for saying this, Miss Parkinson, but… I believe we’re going to have to share one blanket.”

Her heart started pounding in her chest, but she nodded, knowing that he was right. Percy hurriedly tossed his blanket off, and Pansy hesitantly unwrapped herself so that he could take one end of the blanket and wrap it around himself. Once the gap was closed, she immediately felt the difference. 

Heat and warmth radiated from Percy, and she relaxed for the first time since the whole thing began. 

“Good. This is better.” He scooted closer to her, pulling the blanket even tighter. His thigh was now pressed against hers, and she thought she might come apart at having him so near that she could smell him. As they sat perfectly still, she could feel their little space grow hotter. 

She still sat with her back ramrod straight, and Percy was forced to copy her stance. Once the warmth started to really sink in, she felt him relax. 

“Er, Miss Parkinson? Might we—I mean to say—would it be all right if we leaned back a bit?” 

“Oh! Um, yes of course. All right.” 

Percy repositioned himself so that his back was against the sofa. Pansy had no choice but to lean back as well, but as her frame was smaller than his, she ended up leaning into him. The sofa seemed to slump in the middle, so that more of her was touching him than just her thigh. They sat that way for a few seconds, and she felt increasingly awkward until she couldn't take it anymore. She abruptly sat up, returning to the position she'd been in before.

Percy sighed. "I know this is unusual, Miss Parkinson. And I apologize for making you feel uncomfortable." His tone was apologetic, his voice soft. "If you have any other ideas, I truly want to hear them."

Oh, she had other ideas, all right. Only they involved her in his lap, his hands in her hair, and a lot less space between them. But it felt like there was an impossible chasm separating them, and now was certainly not the time for broaching such a topic. 

"I have none. Nothing we haven't tried already." She straightened even more. "And you don't. Not really."

He sat up beside her again, their legs touching once more. "I don't what?"

"Make me uncomfortable. It's... It's not that. Let's try again." She sank against the back of the sofa once more, trying to remain calm and cool and oh so fine. They overlapped again by the barest amount, but it wasn't terribly comfortable. It felt unnatural because they weren't used to such contact. Even if she didn't have feelings for him, being in such proximity to a mere coworker would be hard. 

They sat in silence for several minutes, during which Pansy tried to get her heart to stop racing. Unfortunately, the warmth on her arm and leg did nothing for her toes and feet. Percy checked the temperature again, and the result read 26F. 

“This is getting serious, isn’t it?” Her thoughts began to spin. Yes, she felt awkward and self-conscious and ridiculous, but if they didn’t figure something out soon, they’d be in real trouble. Their survival was at stake, and she shoved everything aside except for the self-preservation Slytherins were known for. 

She turned her body so that she was still close but could look him in the eye. Her breath only hitched slightly upon realizing just how close she was to his face, and she swallowed hard to push aside thoughts of getting lost in his eyes. “Mr. Weasley, we need to think about this rationally. Let’s go over what we know.”

He nodded succinctly. “The temperature is dropping, and we don’t know why.”

Pansy held up one finger for his point, then added another. “The Ministry knows something is wrong but they can’t help us right now.”

“We can’t light a fire or water pours down, which in these conditions would quickly turn to ice.”

“Warming Charms aren’t effective. I’ve had mine going this whole time, and I can tell that I won’t be able to hold it much longer. Besides, I can’t quite feel my toes.”

Percy’s expression flickered with concern. “The sofa isn’t optimal.”

Pansy sighed and shook her head. It was time to move past their minor discomforts. “The best solution is a bed. We can pile blankets on top of us that will hold the heat.”

He blinked, his cheeks going pink, but he didn’t protest. “I’ve had the same thought, but I didn’t want to upset you.”

“We’re beyond that now. Let’s do it quickly while we still can.” She stood, wrapping the blanket around her and poking her wand out of the gap. Percy quickly hopped up as well, and she Transfigured the sofa into a bed. She pushed it against the wall, thinking that having one side not be open to the air might help. “You go first. I’d keep your shoes on.”

Percy nodded and crawled into the bed, his teeth chattering and his lips blue. Pansy quickly covered the surface with every blanket they had and put warming charms on them. They wouldn’t last long, but it would hopefully make them recover from their brief stint in the cold. Then she lifted the blankets as little as possible and slid under them, kicking off her heels as she did so. She didn’t think they’d do her any good at all. 

She was facing Percy, who was completely covered by the blankets with only his face showing. He watched her with something unreadable in his eyes. They both knew that a bed wasn’t enough. She wanted him, of course she did, but this wasn’t how she wanted it to be. It was unlikely they’d be able to recover from this incident and go on as though nothing had happened, but there was nothing to be done about it. With a sigh, she inched her way toward him until she reached him, still wrapped tightly in her blanket. 

He swallowed hard, doubt flickering in his eyes. “Are you warm?”

“No.” She smiled despite her lips feeling numb. 

“Me either. I think we need to be closer.” 

She nodded. “I need to get this off.” Percy leaned up on his elbow to help her unwind the blanket. Once it was out from around her, she sighed. She still had on her cloak and a light jumper. “This is awfully embarrassing.” 

He let out a short laugh. “You can say that again.”

Their eyes met, then she looked away quickly lest he see something other than embarrassment. “We should, um, get as close as possible.”

“Miss Parkinson.” It came out a whisper, and she froze, dragging her gaze back to his. He cleared his throat. “I’m not… I don’t quite know what you mean, but… Let’s agree never to speak of this once we’re out of this situation.”

Pansy tried not to let any disappointment show. “Agreed. And we’d better get to it before it’s too late.” With that, she unclasped her cloak and pushed it aside, then started to unbutton her jumper. 

Percy’s eyes went wide as saucers. “What are you—”

She shrugged out of the jumper, revealing the scoop-necked bodice of her dress. It was perfectly professional for her position and quite appropriate for May, but it was a lot more skin than she’d been revealing moments before. The back of the dress, which she was more interested in, was bare to the middle of her back with only the straps going down from her shoulders. 

When she looked at him again, his cheeks were bright red. “Miss Parkinson, I don’t think this should go any further.”

She rolled her eyes. “No, sir, it won’t. But we need to be able to stay warm as long as possible, and skin on skin is the best path towards that. Now. Your shirt. Sir.”

He looked momentarily frightened, then glanced down to look at his shirt, only to find himself much closer to her chest than he’d realized. He shut his eyes. “I’m still in my work robes.”

“I know. You’d better make it quick.” Pansy stuck her arm out of the blanket and checked the temperature with her wand. “It’s 14 degrees. What if it doesn’t stop?” She couldn’t hide the note of panic welling in her throat. 

That seemed to spur Percy on, and he quickly shrugged out of his robes. “You want me to unbutton my shirt?”

“Yes, Mr. Weasley. Don’t worry; it’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”

If possible, he turned even redder, but quickly proceeded to unbutton his shirt. 

Pansy stared; she couldn’t help it. She didn’t know what she’d expected, but it was clear that Percy took care of himself. He wasn’t big and bulky, but she could tell that from his clothing. Instead he was lean but clearly strong, with a well-defined chest and abdominal muscles. 

“Miss Parkinson,” he whispered, drawing her gaze to his face. 

When her eyes met his, she found that she had trouble filling her lungs, and it had nothing to do with the cold. In his eyes was a look so intense, so unexpected, that she sucked in a breath, completely at a loss. It couldn’t be possible that he had his own little secret, could it? 

_No_.

The thought sobered Pansy, and she forced a small, matter-of-fact smile. “Good. I’m going to turn over and you’re going to put your arms around me and pull me close to you.”

“You want to spoon.” His voice was a bit rough, lacking the complete control which she always associated with him. 

She didn’t respond until she had turned over, her back to him. At least now she wouldn’t have to worry about her expression betraying her. “It’s the best way. Maximum contact between us.”

Percy lifted his arm but paused. “Are you giving me permission to do this?”

“Yes, Mr. Weasley.” She tried to sound impatient, impartial. “This is the only way.”

He delayed no longer, and soon his arm was draped over her waist, pulling her flush against his chest. Then she realized that, while she no longer had to worry about her face giving her away, her heart might, as it was now thundering in her chest. At least she was completely distracted from the cold. 

They lay there a long moment, neither of them moving. Then, feeling wisps of cold air trying to sneak onto her skin, she pulled her cardigan and cloak close to her and stretched her cloak out, under all the blankets, so that it was covering them. 

When they were settled once more, heat radiating from where their skin was touching, Pansy tried to break the tense silence. “Mr. Weasley? What will you tell Penelope?” Penelope Clearwater was Percy’s on and off girlfriend. They’d been dating since Hogwarts, though they’d taken breaks both big and small and dated other people now and then. 

“Penny?” She was so glad she couldn’t see his face, but his tone was stretched thin. “I… We’re not—we broke up about seven months ago. I believe it was for good.”

“Oh! I’m so sorry.” Now she didn’t know what to feel. It was one thing to have feelings for a coworker whom she’d believed to be in a serious relationship, and another thing to find out that he was single and had been for some time. When she thought about it, she realized she hadn’t seen Penelope in a long while, though she hadn’t taken much note of her before.

“Don’t be.”

Pansy tried to relax. They were going to be here indefinitely, and it was too cold outside their warm cocoon to get anything done. She was physically exhausted due to the effort required to keep the Warming Charm in effect. Though she felt warm enough, she knew she’d need to let it go soon. “Mr. Weasley?”

He chuckled quietly, his chest vibrating. “Call me Percy. After all, we are in bed together. I think we can dispense with the formalities for now.”

A shiver that had nothing to do with the cold ran down her spine. “You may call me Pansy, then.”

“Pansy.” He spoke her name as though tasting it for the first time. 

She had to close her eyes and take a few long, focused breaths. 

“What did you want?” 

She blinked. “What?”

“You said my name. Remember?”

“Oh. I, um, well, I suppose I wanted to say that I’m glad you were here when the Lockdown happened. I’m glad I wasn’t alone.” The idea, the thought of being trapped here, in the frigid cold, alone, was terrifying.

“I’d like to think I’m a more pleasant companion than Harrison.”

Pansy laughed at his unexpected comment, then shuddered at the thought. The idea of being stuck with Harrison and not Percy made her realize that she’d have done everything in her power to find another way to survive rather than get into a bed, even fully clothed, with her boss—even with her deepest self-preservation instincts in full force. That was something of an important revelation, she thought.

A shiver of cold ran through her body, and she cringed, trying to fit her legs closer to Percy’s. But he still wore his trousers, and very little, if any, heat escaped those. The dress left her legs bare, and she tucked her legs in instead, trying to curl into a ball. Maintaining the position required constant effort, however, and pulled her back away from Percy’s chest.

“Pansy?” 

She stilled. “Yes?”

“Are you cold?”

There was no point in denying it. “Yes. I’m wearing a blasted dress, after all. I can’t get my legs warm, to say nothing of my toes.”

Percy shifted around, pulling away from her. She gasped at how cold the air was that hit her exposed back, but in a moment, he was back, handing something to her. “Here. I’ve transfigured a blanket into a pair of trousers for you. Can you slip them on under your dress? It has to be better than nothing.”

Pansy nodded eagerly, and Percy moved to give her room. Pansy sat up and quickly pulled the garment on. She used her own wand to extend the legs and sew the bottoms closed so that they would cover her feet. It was much better, and she settled back onto the bed feeling warmer than she had before. Percy quickly resumed his place behind her, his arm tucking her as close into his front as she could go. 

But it still wasn’t enough. A moment later, she was shivering again. Pansy pulled her cardigan on backward, sticking her arms through the sleeves and pulling it to her chest. Nothing was as warm as her back, flush against Percy’s chest, but it was only the top of her back. She desperately wanted to be touching him as much as possible, and not only because she liked him. 

It was bone-chillingly cold. 

“What else can I do?” Percy’s voice held a tinge of panic in it. 

“I don’t know!” It was hard not to feel like she’d never feel anything but cold. 

After a stretch of silence, Percy spoke. “Pansy. I’m worried. Please hear me from that place. I could… your dress, I mean, it’s… well, there’s a zipper, and—”

Her breath hitched. “Yes. Alright. Yes, please.”

She heard him swallow hard. Naturally, this entire situation could be stimulating, even among strangers. But they had something of a relationship, a friendly acquaintanceship, at the very least. She felt the moment when Percy touched the zipper, but he was so gentle, so careful, that she barely felt him apply the pressure required to move it. Finally, she heard the sound of the zipper, loud in the perfect silence of the office. 

“Tell me when to stop.” His words were a strangled whisper.

The sound grew louder as he neared her waist, and her breath was only coming in short puffs. She sensed when he reached the line of her knickers. “Stop.” 

He froze, then carefully withdrew his hand. Then she closed her eyes as she felt the warmth of his hand, suspended over the skin of her back. He didn’t touch her, but she waited breathlessly in anticipation that he might, only letting out a shaky breath when he moved his hand. Then he carefully, hesitantly pulled open her dress, revealing more of her bare skin. 

Pansy tried to help him, lifting her body slightly to tuck that side of her dress underneath her. She wondered what he thought upon discovering she’d worn no bra. For a long moment, where she could barely breathe, they lay that way, then Percy slid his arm over her once again, careful to keep her dress away from her back, then pulled her to him. 

It felt lovely, all that heat radiating through her, and she sighed without thinking. 

He’d wanted to touch her, she was almost sure of it, but he for some reason had not. 

After maybe ten minutes, she felt her body relax. With that came a wave of exhaustion, likely from her body fighting so hard to retain every ounce of warmth it could. She snuggled against him, sleep trying desperately to claim her. 

“Pansy?”

It sounded as though he were calling her through a thick tunnel. “Hm?” 

“Pansy! You need to stay awake.” His tone was sharp, alarmed.

“But I’m so tired and warm now.”

“I know, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea to fall asleep. Let’s… let’s talk. Tell me something about yourself that I don’t know.” 

Pansy hummed to herself as she tried half-heartedly to think of something to say. What would interest this man, this smart, methodical, handsome man? She couldn’t think of anything and felt a wave of despair. What good was it to have feelings for him if she couldn’t even think of something to say? Then an idea came to her. 

“I regret every day that I wanted to turn Potter over to V-Voldemort.”

Percy let out a sharp breath. “Oh, I… I remember that. I wasn’t expecting that. I thought maybe you’d tell me your favorite color or complain about Harrison’s filing system.”

Pansy laughed, which made her feel more awake. “Well, that particular story requires the use of my hands—I talk best when I can flap them around wildly, or so Draco tells me—so I’m afraid it’ll have to wait for another day.” _Assuming we don’t freeze to death in here._

“Good. I’d like for you to tell me that story another day.”

Pansy pulled the blankets tighter around her. “I’d be happy to.”

“Perhaps…” His voice trailed to a whisper. “You could tell me over dinner. Once we get out of here. If you want to, of course.”

“Dinner?” she repeated, the cold making her thoughts run slower in her mind. 

Percy chuckled awkwardly. “You see, the thing is, I’ve been trying to work up the nerve to ask you out for months now. But I’ve not managed it yet. Some Gryffindor, huh?”

Pansy desperately wanted to turn around and look at him, his confession bringing her out of the cold-induced stupor. But she thought it best to stay as they were, since they were in a forced situation and were only so close because of the need to survive. They could have this conversation without the other seeing their reactions, and she felt it the fairest course.

“Mr. Weasley! I’m not sure what to say!” She smiled as she spoke, enjoying her little fun at addressing him formally again.

She heard the playful tone in his response. “I hope, Miss Parkinson, that you’ll say yes, although I recognize that this isn't a great time to ask. But—"

"Percy." Oh, hang it all. She wanted to see him. Pansy flipped over despite how difficult it was. Percy lifted his arm to give her room, but her dress didn't want to cooperate. She laughed as she tried to keep herself covered, her skirt twisting and pulling. Finally she was facing him, and he hurriedly wrapped her up to keep her back warm.

Now that she was facing him, though, she lost every bit of nerve she'd had. She bit her lip, unable to look him in the eye. 

"Pansy?" Percy gently tipped her chin so she would look at him. 

There were no thoughts in her head, no words on her tongue. All she could process was that somehow, she was in the arms of the man she wanted, and there was more at work than the freezing temperature. 

She shivered involuntarily; it was still devastatingly cold.

"You should turn back around." Percy frowned and fussed with the blankets at her back. 

"Dinner sounds wonderful, Percy."

His hands stilled and his gaze drifted to hers. "Really? It's not—I'm not—you mean... You want to?"

"Yes. I've wanted to for a while now, but I thought you were still with Penelope." She shrugged. "Not that I'd have approached you if I'd known the truth."

He swallowed hard, his eyes dipping to her lips. "For how long?"

"Since I lifted that piece of fuzz off your robes in the lift. Or at least, that’s when I first felt something."

Percy's puzzled, disbelieving expression slowly morphed into a hesitant smile. "Is that so?"

"It is." Pansy was beginning to feel icy tendrils of cold air creep between them. She'd turned around to get a good look at him, and she intended to do that. "We'll have dinner, and I'll complain about Harrison's filling system. You'll tell me how you came to be in your position, and we'll discuss the pros and cons of interoffice relationships."

"Oh, definitely pro." His dark blue eyes reminded her of the ocean, and even with very little light on the room, they appeared fathomless. She could drown in them if she let herself. 

She arched an eyebrow. "That was surprisingly quick."

"I've been thinking about it a lot lately." He shrugged with a boyish grin.

"Have you? What else have you been thinking about?" Her gaze flitted to his lips.

“In the last two minutes specifically, I’ve thought about a more enjoyable way of warming us up. But only if you’re—”

She absolutely was. Pansy grabbed the open collar of his shirt and pulled him closer, pressing her lips to his. He responded enthusiastically, sliding his arms around her and pulling her closer than she’d been all day. His hands were hot on her back, splayed wide as though eager to touch as much of her as he could. They couldn’t move much in order to preserve the warm bubble they’d created, but Percy did his best to maneuver them comfortably. 

He slid his tongue over her lips, and she gasped, allowing him to deepen the kiss. Though she had thought about kissing him on many occasions, she’d never known what to expect. Nobody in the office talked about Percy’s love life; he was always seen as being too stiff or boring to be interesting, but Pansy quickly discovered that he knew what he was doing. His hands moved with practiced ease, and in minutes she was breathing heavily, a very different kind of warmth spreading all through her. 

In fact, she was beginning to feel very warm all over. It took a few seconds for this thought to register, and just when she was about to throw some of the blankets off, all the lights in the office came on. 

Her eyes flew open, and Percy froze. They looked at each other, and she felt like a kid caught stealing candy from Honeydukes. 

Pansy recovered first and flipped around so her back was to Percy. “Zip me up!”

Percy did as instructed, allowing the tips of his fingers to linger between her shoulder blades. 

They heard the main lobby door shake. Someone was trying to get in. Pansy leapt up and pulled off the blankets. Percy turned the bed back into a sofa and sat down, hurriedly buttoning his shirt. Pansy pulled off the trousers and tucked her legs under her, throwing her cardigan on around her shoulders. She set a blanket on her lap, and Percy took two. They exchanged a conspiratorial look just as someone opened the office door.

It was Mitchell, Clara’s latest interest, with Clara close behind him. When she saw Pansy well and unharmed, she ran in and threw her arms around her. 

“Oh, thank Merlin you’re alright! Everything happened so quickly, and they said you’d sent a call for help! The whole Ministry was hit with a strange phenomenon; all kinds of bizarre things happened all over.” Clara glanced around the room. “Everything seems in order here, but—what happened to you?” It was then that she seemed to notice Percy and her cheeks went red. “Oh! Mr. Weasley, I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize you were here with Pansy! Oh, but that’s good! I’m glad she wasn’t alone.”

Pansy tutted over all the fuss and set her blanket down so she could stand. “I’m fine, Clara, though the temperatures did get a bit nippy. Did the entire Ministry freeze as well?”

Clara’s eyes widened. “No! Some areas experienced extreme changes in temperature, but not all. There were storms in some departments, floods, even spontaneous fires. The Ministry’s suppression system kicked in, of course, but as soon as the fires went out and the water stopped, a new fire would start up. It was quite the ordeal; they’re going to have a time sorting through it all.”

Percy stood and brushed off his trousers. “Do they have any idea what caused it?”

Clara shook her head. “I’m not sure, Mr. Weasley. Though I doubt they’d tell me if they did.”

Percy nodded once. “I should go and see if there’s any way I can be of assistance. Miss Parkinson, will you be alright?”

Pansy had been staring absently, feeling exhausted from the ordeal but also ready to spring thanks to the heavy snog with Percy. When he called her name, she glanced his way. “I’m quite sure I will, Mr. Weasley. Thank you for your hospitality during our captivity.”

“You should take the rest of the day off, Miss Parkinson. I know I can feel the major drain that accompanied casting Warming Charms continuously for however long we were trapped.” Without another word, he left. 

Pansy watched him go, desperate for some sign that what they’d experienced wasn’t a dream that she’d just woken from, that he really had asked her to dinner. Naturally, he wouldn’t say anything in front of Clara and Mitchell. She saw him pause at her desk, write something on a slip of parchment, tuck that slip under the corner of a book, and look her straight in the eye as he did so. She nodded slightly to indicate that she’d seen, and then he was gone. 

“I can’t believe you were stuck in here with him.” Clara made a face. “I’m so sorry; I shouldn’t have left you. I got to Mitchell’s office just as everything locked down. We were stuck inside a room that felt like a sauna—complete with these horrid little bugs that love to bite. Anyway, I want to hear all about your experience! How did you keep from dying of boredom? Mr. Weasley is _such_ a dull man. I can’t imagine how you managed to pass the time.”

Pansy tried to smile patiently, feeling the beginnings of a headache creeping in. “We talked and tried to figure out what was happening. I’m glad to hear you are all right, and I’m fine, though a bit tired.”

Clara rubbed her arm in a sympathetic manner. “You should take Mr. Weasley’s advice and go home, though I’ll miss you terribly. Trying to stay warm with nothing more than a few blankets sounds horrendous.” 

“Thank you for understanding, Clara. I think a nap is in order, followed by a nice, long, soak in the tub. I’ll leave a note for Mr. Harrison.” Pansy crossed to her desk and wrote out a note for her boss, then handed it to Clara.

“I’ll be sure he gets it and that he understands the situation.” Clara smiled again, sympathetically. 

“I appreciate it.” Pansy gave the other witch a quick hug, then gathered her things and Percy’s note, and left with a wave. 

Once on the lift, she opened the slip of parchment with trembling hands. 

_Pansy,_

_Tonight, 7:30. La Poulet Au Pot._  
231 Ebury Street, London.  
If that doesn’t work, send an owl. 

_Percy_

Pansy smiled to herself as she tucked the note into her handbag. It had been quite an unexpected day, full of surprises both unpleasant and wonderful, but she had a feeling the best was still before her.

**Author's Note:**

> Temperature conversions for the story:  
> 58F = 14C  
> 43F = 6C  
> 37F = 2.7C  
> 26F = -3C  
> 14F = -10C


End file.
